Wushanling Mud Volcano Natural Reserve Introduction
There are a total of 27 mud volcanoes in the world, and the Shenshui Agricultural, Forestry and Livestock Farm in Shenshui Village, Yanchao District, is the place in Taiwan with the most developed mud volcano landforms, covering an area of 3.88 hectares. To protect this unique landscape, the Agricultural Committee declared this area as the "Wusanting Mud Volcano Nature Reserve" in 1992. The formation of mud volcanoes results from the movement and rupture of the Chihshan Fault beneath the earth's crust, allowing moisture to seep underground and mix with mudstone to form slurry. Then, high-pressure gases push the slurry to the surface through fissures, creating mud volcanoes. This area has three conical mud volcanoes, with the highest reaching 3.5 meters and a slope of about 50 degrees, characteristic of a typical mud cone. Eruptions occur every few seconds, with thick slurry flowing down the cone's surface, forming tongue-like mudflows that can reach a diameter of 70 meters. The area frequently releases mud and gases, which can often be ignited or burn spontaneously. If entering the nature reserve for educational or academic purposes, one must fill out an application form to observe the precious badland geomorphology, mud volcanoes, and natural ecology.
